OBJECTIVES : The objective of this longitudinal study is to evaluate the short term impact of diabetes self-management programs given by the multidisciplinary team of the CHUM Hôtel-Dieu Diabetes Day-Care Unit over 2-days (T2) or 4-days (T4) training sessions.
METHODS : A total of 43 patients were recruited; 13 in the 2-day program, providing only group intervention and 30 in the 4-day program, providing both group and individual interventions. Besides measures of metabolic control (glycated haemoglobin, body-mass index), validated tools were used to evaluate literacy, as well as knowledge, self-care behaviours, and attitudes towards diabetes (at 0, 1 and 6 months).
RESULTS : The average age of patients participating in the training sessions is 59 years old, and 77% have reached collegial or higher educational levels. This gives them sufficient literacy skills in terms of capacity to understand and use written information in everyday life. However, 64 % of the patients that did not show up or complete the training (N=11) had educational levels equal or lower to secondary 5.
Outcome data, analyzed with nonparametric tests, show that diabetes self-management education programs of the Hôtel-Dieu CHUM lead to significant short-term improvement of metabolic control in patients (p=0,042, N=33) and result in a average weight loss of 2.4 kg (p=0,004, N=27). Both types of training increase patients knowledge of the disease (p=0,000 F2/F4), and the 4-days training session significantly contribute to positive attitudes towards the disease (p=0,000). The 2-days training program is particularly effective in improving self-care behaviours such as blood glucose monitoring and foot care, but it had very little effect on behaviours related to lifestyle.
CONCLUSION : These results show that the 4-day program has proven more effective in improving self-management competency suggesting that the duration of interaction time between educators and patient seems to be a good predictor of the impact of the training. Although interventions are found to be effective, outcomes ultimately suggest that it is mostly patients with higher education that tend to participate in this formal training.